Founding Member and Guitarist of Lynyrd Skynyrd Gary Rossington, Dies Aged 71
William Harris Source: Hollywood Life
- Gary Rossington, the last remaining founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, has passed away at the age of 71.
- He died just a few months before the band’s upcoming tour.
Lynyrd Skynyrd Guitarist Gary Rossington dies aged 71
Gary Rossington, the guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd and the only remaining founding member of the band, passed away at the age of 71. His cause of death was not disclosed, but he died on March 5, 2023, just a few months before the band’s upcoming tour.
Rossington had struggled with health problems for many years, including a heart attack in 2015 and emergency heart surgery in 2021.
He is survived by his wife, Dale Krantz-Rossington, their two daughters, and multiple grandchildren.
The official statement of the band read:
“It is with our deepest sympathy and sadness that we have to advise, that we lost our brother, friend, family member, songwriter and guitarist, Gary Rossington, today. Gary is now with his Skynyrd brothers and family in heaven and playing it pretty, like he always does.”
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Gary cheated death on several occasions
Gary Rossington was a quiet and reserved individual who expressed himself primarily through his guitar playing. He narrowly escaped death on multiple occasions including a severe car accident in 1976 that led to the creation of the band’s song “That Smell.”
In 1977, he was one of the few survivors of the tragic plane crash. It claimed the lives of singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and backing vocalist Cassie Gaines.
Despite sustaining numerous injuries such as two broken arms, a broken leg, and a punctured stomach and liver, Rossington survived the incident.
In 2006, he told Rolling Stones:
“I’ve talked about it here and there, but I don’t like to. It was a devastating thing. You can’t just talk about it real casual and not have feelings about it.”
As time passed, Rossington faced a series of heart-related health issues. In 2003, he underwent a quintuple bypass surgery, and in 2015, he experienced a heart attack.
He subsequently had several additional heart surgeries, with the most recent one causing him to step away from Lynyrd Skynyrd in July 2021 for recovery.
During recent concerts, Rossington would sometimes only play a portion of the performance or choose to sit out entirely.
In November 2022, he told Tolling Stone:
“I don’t get enough oxygen in my blood to keep up and keep going like normal. But I can still play good. It’s just the travel. It’s so hard on me, especially when you got heart trouble.”
Short Bio of Gary Rossington
Gary Rossington was an American guitarist and songwriter. He was best known as the founding member of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd.
He was born on December 4, 1951, in Jacksonville, Florida, and grew up playing guitar and listening to blues and rock music.
In 1964, he met Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins, and the trio formed Lynyrd Skynyrd. Rossington was a founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd and played on all of the band’s albums.
He was a key contributor to many of the band’s well-known songs, including “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Gimme Three Steps,” and “Free Bird.”
His contributions to rock and to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s legacy will be remembered for generations to come.
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